This is my family's 5th year of being owned by a pool and 3rd year with TFP. Haven't posted much this season because (drum roll please...) this has been by far my most "Trouble-Free" year of pool care ever 
. NO algal insurrections, no leaks, and no feeling of anxious apprehension every time I roll back the pool cover. Didn't even have a problem when our family took a 1-week vacation without a pool-sitter (filled a tablet feeder and put a half dozen tabs in a mesh bag and suspended it in the deep end for good measure - turned out to be overkill and returned to an FC of 14 but hey, the water was clear and CYA was a manageable 50 so no harm done, back to the liquid chlorine)
The biggest reasons - all the great advice from TFP, my trusty Taylor K-2006, and the much-deferred pool repair work we finally had done last summer (when the suspected slow leak turned into a much faster leak) - cracks repaired, pool replastered, the skimmer and suction/cleaner lines were replaced, and even though we still have just the one return and one skimmer, the updated plumbing has dramatically improved our water circulation so we no longer have the 'circulation dead zone and algal nursery' on the steps.
Before and after pics of the skimmer/filter line:
from this
to this
Thanks again TFP!
. NO algal insurrections, no leaks, and no feeling of anxious apprehension every time I roll back the pool cover. Didn't even have a problem when our family took a 1-week vacation without a pool-sitter (filled a tablet feeder and put a half dozen tabs in a mesh bag and suspended it in the deep end for good measure - turned out to be overkill and returned to an FC of 14 but hey, the water was clear and CYA was a manageable 50 so no harm done, back to the liquid chlorine)The biggest reasons - all the great advice from TFP, my trusty Taylor K-2006, and the much-deferred pool repair work we finally had done last summer (when the suspected slow leak turned into a much faster leak) - cracks repaired, pool replastered, the skimmer and suction/cleaner lines were replaced, and even though we still have just the one return and one skimmer, the updated plumbing has dramatically improved our water circulation so we no longer have the 'circulation dead zone and algal nursery' on the steps.
Before and after pics of the skimmer/filter line:
from this
to this
Thanks again TFP!
